Con-way Freight recently graduated the 500th candidate from its driver training schools program. The program, provided at no cost to students, was launched in March 2010 and today operates in 84 cities across the United States. The schools are conducted at the company’s service centers and provide both classroom and behind-the-wheel training, enabling graduates to obtain their commercial driver’s license.
One aspect of the 12-week program is that students work in paid part-time positions as dockworkers while attending class, enabling them to earn a living while learning their new profession.
“We are both making an investment – the student in the time and energy they commit to the program, and the company in creating and administering the curriculum and training,” says Bob Petrancosta, Con-way Freight’s vice president of safety, who started his career with the company as a driver 28 years ago. “We each have skin in the game. Safety is priority number one at Con-way Freight, and through this program, we know we are putting to work highly trained professional drivers whose foremost commitment is to provide our customers with the safest possible service.”